Aeroplane control device



MQCLELLAN DAVIS AEROPLANE CONTROL DEVICE Filed Nov. :50. 1923 PatentedOct. 26, 1931 UNITED STATES "PATENT, OFFICE MCCLELLAN DAVIS, OFPORTLAND, OREGON mormim comnor. nnvrcn Application filed November 80,1928. Serial No. 822,898.

- trols arranged so that one may be operated by the student and theother by the instruc- 10 tor. These controls are ordinaril connected sothat operation of one will a cot both to the extent that-the instructormay, by properly operating his controls, initiate the student into themeans for operating such.

It not infrequently happens, however, that in the presence of anemergency, the student,

by reason of his inexperience, becomes confused or frightened and.either aims to oper-- ate his controls'improperly or else freezes tosuch controls to thereby prevent the instructor from properlycontrolling the aeroplane. Under these circumstances, it is importantthat the instructor be ca able of disconnecting the studentscontro sfrom any operative effect on the aeroplane in order that the aeroplanemay thereafter be controlled by the instructor for the propercorrection, if possible, of the emergency demand.

It is the primary object of the present invention, therefore, to providesuch students control, and more particularly the joy stick elementthereof, with means whereby-it may be disconnected from the controldevices of the aeroplane at the will of the instructor, the constructionproviding for locking the joy stick control of the student againstseparation from control function when desired in order that the student,whenin solo flight,

an upper terminal hand grip 2. The lower end of the section 1 iscircumferentially enlarged, with the enlargement presenting a flatcircular face 3 from which the peripheral surface of the enlargementinclines upwardly and inwardly, as at 4, forming what may be hereinaftertermed a conical locking extension on the lower end of the section 1 ofthe joy stick.

. The remaining or lower section of the joy stick is in the form of a'casting 5 having spaced lower terminal ears 6 through which the joystick may be pivotally supported, as at 7. The upperend of the castingis formed with spaced forwardly projecting ears 8, through which thecontrol cables are conneoted, and similar rearwar'dly projecting spacedears 9. The casting is formed with a central circularbore 10 openingthrough the upper edge, andin this bore is secured,

through a bolt or like element 11, the'lower section 12 of the joy stickpro er.

to the sectionl in cross section, extends above the upper surface ofthe'castin'g 5 and is formed with a conical locking extension 13 whichis a duplicate ofthe conical locking extension of the joy sticksection 1. Thus, when the sections 1 and 12 are in alignment, thecircular flat faces of the respective looking extensions are in contactand'the inclined walls of such extensions project in opposite directionsfrom the meeting edges of the sections, as clearly shown in Figure 2 ofthe drawings.

A locking collar arranged to cooperate with the conical lockingextensions of the joy stick sections is illustrated in Figure 3,comprising duplicate sectionsl and 15 pivotally connected throughrelatively offset cars 16. The collar sections are interiorly formedwith channels 17 which accurately correspond to the outline form of theconical locking exten-' sions of the joystick sections, so that when thecollar sections 14 and 15 are closed on the joy stick'sections, theyeffectively embrace and hold in relatively rigid relation, the joy sticksections 1 and 12. Therefore, by means of the collar, and solely.through its locking cooperation with the locking extensions of Thesection 12, which is 0 similar form the joy stick sections, the joystick sections are held in relatively rigid connected relation, exactlyas if the joy stick was a single inte al member. 4

Dlametrically opposite the pivotal connection 16 of the sections 14 and15 of the locking collar, each collar is formed with an angularextension 18. These extensions are so arranged that when the collarsections are in closed position, the proximate faces of the extensionsare in contact on a line diametric of the collar, while their opposingedges, in-j di'cated at 19, project in parallelism with each other andwith the diametric line coincident .with the line of contact between therelatively inner faces of the PI'OjBOtlOIlS;

A holdingmember is designed to be pivotally supported upon the casting 5and to cooperate with the sections of thecollar to hold said sections inlocking relation. This member, as more particularly seen in Figure 1,

is of skeleton form including side bars 20 pivotally supported at theirlower ends at 21.

on the ears 9 of the casting 5. The inner surfaces of the side bars 20are spaced apart a distance to accurately receive the combinedprojections 18 of the locking collar between them, and said-arms 20 areprovided with a transverse rod 22 adapted to seat in a correspondinglfyshaped recess 23 opening through t e rear aces of the projections 18 ofthe sections of the locking collar. The bars 20 of the holding memberabove the rod 22 are whereby to prevent movement of the holding memberwhen desired. A ring '31 is secured to the upper end of the holdingmember and connected to one terminal of a cable or cord 32 which extendswithin reach of the instructor, who it is understood ordinarily controlsa icy stick in rear of ,the-students joy stick to w ich the presentinvention is moreparticularly directed. a

From the above construction it will be apparent that when it is desiredto secure the sections of the students joy stick in fixed relation, thelocking collar is closed about the locking extensions of the jo sticksections 1 and 12, the recesses 17 in t e locking collar sections snuglyfitting and grippin the locking'extensions upon the joy stic sections.The holding member is then swung upwardly, the movement being continueduntil the rod 22 of the holding member enters the aligned recesses 23 inthe extensions 18 of the locking collar sections. Inthis position theinner surfaces of the arms 20 of the holding member will fit over andcontact with the outer surfaces 19 of the extensions 18, whereby thelocking collar is held in fixed relation to the 'joy stick sections andthe sections of such locking collar are secured against separation. Inthis movement of the holdin member to operative position, the U-shapeupper terminal of such member is passed over the vprojection 29 of thebolt 27, said pro'e'ction passing through the passage 26. the parts inthis position, the student has full operative control of the joy stickand connected mechanism, but if for any reason the instructor desires toprevent the students control of such mechanism,

a simple pull on the cable 32 disconnects the holding member from thesections of the locking collar and.

any attempt by the student to 0 stick will at once separate the sectionsand thereby free the rate the joy ocking collar upper section 1 of thejoy stick from any operative influ-V ence on the lower section 12. Asthe control r mechanism is connected tothe lower section 12, suchmechanism will under these conditions be entirely beyond the control ofthe student. 7 i

In the event the student is making .a solo flightor for some reason isto retaincontrol of the aeroplane, the nut 30 is applied to the threadedterminal of ,the bolt 27 after the parts are in the applied lockingositions de scribed. This prevents any lsconnecting movement of theholdin member and the sections 1 and 12 of the Joy stick are effectivelyconnected and the controls governed by such joystick may be operatedasif the joy stick wasan integral element. Y 7

What is claimed to be new is:

1. In an aeroplane, a joy stick made up of sections, a two-part collarfor locki e sections in connected relation, a. holdin member free ofconnection with the'collar and adapted in one position to lock the partsof the collar. together and in another position to free said collarparts relative to each other, and means whereby the holding member maybe selectively locked against collar part release movement. I

2. In an aeroplane, a joy stick made up of aligned sections, the meetingends of thesections being formed with conical locking ex tensions, alocking collar made up of pivot ally connected sections, the saidsections being interiorly formed with channels to interfit with andsecure the meeting locking ex tensions of adjacent joy stick sections,and

means whereby the collar sections may be heldagainst separation.

3. In an aeroplane, a joy stick made up of aligned sections, themeeting'ends of the sections being formed with conical lockingextensions, a locking collar made up of pivotally connected sections,the said sections being interiorly formed with channels to interfit withand secure the meeting locking ex-- tensions of adjacent joy sticksections, and a holding member pivotally supported on one of the joystick sections and adapted to embrace the locking collar sections whenin operative position to prevent separation of said collar sections. j i4. In an aeroplane, a joy stick made up of aligned sections, the meetingends of the sections being formed with conical lockingextensions,alocking collar madeu of ivotally connected sections, thesaid sections ing interiorly formed with channels to interfit with andsecure the meeting locking extensions of adjacent joy stick sections, aholding member pivotally supported on one of the joy stick sections andadapted to embrace the locking collar sections when in operativeposition to prevent separation of said collar sections, and means forsecuring the holding member in operative position.

5. In an aeroplane, a joy stick made up of tions being formed withconical locking extensions, a locking collar made up of p votallyconnected sections, the said sections being interiorly formed withchannels to interfit with and secure the meeting locking extensions ofadjacent joy stick sections, a

- holding member -pivotally supported on one of the joy stick sectionsand adapted to emsions of adjacent joy stick sections, a

passage in brace the locking collar sections when in operative positionto prevent separat on of said collar sections, and a bolt carried by oneof tensions of adjacent'joy stick sections, a holding member plvotallysupported on one of the joy stick sections and ocking collar sectionswhen in operative position to prevent separation of said collarsections, a bolt with which the holding member cooperates when in collarlocking position, and a nut cooperating with said bolt to secure theholding member at will against separation fflim the bolt.

n testimrgg M DAVI [a a] aligned sections, the meeting ends of thesecadaptedto embrace the i the joy stick sections and adapted to projectthrough a passage in the holding member when the latter is in operativeposition.

6. In an aeroplane, a joy stick made up of aligned sections, the meetingends of the sections being formed with conical locking extensions, alockin collar made up of pivotally connected sections, the said sectionsbeing interiorl formed with channels to interfit with an secure themeeting lockin extenolding member pivotally supported on one of the joystick sections and adapted to embrace the locking collar sections whenin operative position to prevent separation of said collar sections, abolt carried by one of the joy stick sections and adapted to projectthrough a ter is inoperative position, and means connected to t eholding member to move it into an inoperative position to free thecollar sections at will. I

7. In an aeroplane, a joy stick made up of aligned sections, the meetingends of the sections being formed with conical locking extensions, alocking collar made up of pivotally connected sections, the saidsections be ing interiorly formed with channels to interfit with andsecure the meeting locking ex,-

the holding member when the latiao ' 75 whereof I afiix m signature.

